


More Than Just Colleagues

by teamBLAZE



Category: Harvest Moon
Genre: F/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 20,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23099644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teamBLAZE/pseuds/teamBLAZE
Summary: "Phillip was just my colleague, back at the university." Reina would always say that when she would be asked how come the new farmer in Konohana knew her so well. But was that what he really was to her? Just an old classmate?
Relationships: Farmer/Reina (The Tale of Two Towns)
Kudos: 1





	1. Do I Know You?

**Hello, guys! It's me, teamBLAZE, and it feels good to post a story once more. Hehe.**

**My latest craze in HM is Tale of Two Towns, and I simply ADORE Reina. This came up like a sudden thought, and seeing that fanfics about Reina are as less as our fingers, I wanted to contribute something.**

**As what we always say, Harvest Moon's not ours. Though, we do wish it is, but nope. Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 1

 _Bambusa tulda_ , Reina jotted down on her notebook, _are the largest members of the grass family. Bamboos are some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Apparently, it was found in abundance on a grove…_

She paused, pondering on what she wrote. _Is the information of its whereabouts here worthy of a journal to please the Board?_ she asked herself. _Hmm…I guess it would be best to include it, because by the time this will be published, the bamboo grove in Konohana would be protected. As with the pandas living there_ , she added as she kept writing.

It wasn't that she didn't care for the animals in particular; she was more concerned of the plants living there. They were different from the plants she studied in the university. _But then again_ , she thought as she looked around the whole second floor of her uncle's house, _the plants I brought here weren't the same as the village plants, either._

She peered at the hollow center of the bamboo stalk given by the village smithy, Sheng, who claimed he knew best on finding the healthiest bamboos on the grove. She took her penknife and scraped its bark, collecting them on a spare slide. She then stained and viewed it under a microscope. _Good, the cells are healthy._

She turned the fine adjustment knob when she heard something clomping on wood. _Footsteps?_

She suddenly got irritated. Of all the things she hated—aside from fish—it was being disturbed. Lately, her uncle Mako has been pestering her into including his orchard trees into her research. "Mako," she called without looking up from the microscope. "If you're going to tell me again about your favor, I'm still saying no—"

"…Reina?"

It wasn't her uncle's usual gruff voice. Instead, it was a baritone one she had never heard before. She turned around, startled that a stranger might have trespassed inside.

Indeed, it was somebody she hadn't seen from town. He had bushy chestnut-brown hair that reached his collar and wore a blue sweater accentuated with yellow and green stripes over an orange undershirt, similarly designed blue pants and short boots. For some reason, he also had bandages wrapped around his head. His gray eyes displayed surprise from seeing her.

He looked…familiar.

"Reina?" he asked. "Is that you?"

Intimidation replaced Reina's confusion. She gripped her table, where she was working on a while ago, tight. "How did you know my name?"

The stranger seemed a little hurt. "Don't you…remember me?"

 _From where?_ She desperately searched her memory for his face, but failed. "Sorry, but I wouldn't ask if I do, right?"

"You know, back at the university?"

With the mention of school, images flashed at Reina's mind: a classroom full of students having Taxonomy, herself as a freshman jotting down notes, and a certain young man raising his hand to answer the teacher's question.

"Are you somehow…a classmate of mine?"

The stranger nodded eagerly, finally making Reina get his point. "Yes! I took Botany at the university, too. We've been classmates for four years."

 _Odd how I couldn't remember him._ But then again, Reina didn't talk much to other students at school.

"Anyway," the stranger continued. "Guess I have to introduce myself again, so that you will remember." He offered his hand. "My name's Phillip. I moved here at Konohana after Miss Ina found me in the mountains injured." _So that explains the bandages._ "She said I should meet everyone in town."

She almost forgot Phillip trespassed on her room. _And off he goes introducing himself._ She crossed her arms. "You don't have to climb in here just to say 'hi'. And you should be at the Clinic, if you were injured."

He smiled rather sheepishly. "Sorry. Mako said downstairs that I should meet his niece and let me in. I found—" he pointed to the tree acting as a pillar to her uncle's house—"this tree, and I got curious, so I climbed upstairs." He then pointed to his bandages. "With this…Doctor Ayame said I'm fine now. I stayed at the Clinic since yesterday."

Reina still kept her arms crossed, baffled by the fact he still climbed in. _And the nerve of disturbing me and my research!_

Phillip must have noticed it, because he shrugged his shoulders and moved backward. "I'm really sorry, Reina. Well, gotta go now." He bowed slightly in apology and left.

 _Finally, in peace._ She returned to her microscope, but now her thoughts flew back to her university days, wondering how on Goddess's name a classmate of hers remembered her.

**There wasn't much of her student life revealed in the game, so I figured it could be a good theme for this story.**

**Read and review, please! I really appreciate it. :)**


	2. She Who Prefers the Company of Plants

CHAPTER 2

"So, he was an acquaintance of yours, Reina, before he settled to town," Mako said as he watched his niece set the table for dinner. "You weren't mentioning anything of the sort."

Reina said nothing and proceeded to scoop some gazpacho.

"If you are still cross at me for letting him disturb your privacy, that wasn't really my intention—"

She felt her temples throbbing from hearing her uncle defend himself. "Who wouldn't be angry, Mako?" She sat down at her place rather grudgingly. "And you know what I'm working at these days."

Mako sipped at the soup before answering. "I understand. But you interrupted me before I finish my word." He dipped a piece of bread. "Yes, it wasn't my intention, but you _were_ cross about it. Forgive me."

Reina stared at Mako, her guardian for as long as she could remember. She couldn't get him sometimes—as he could be temperamental at one point, then quirky the next—but he _is_ family. She smiled. "Sorry, too. Just don't do that next time."

Mako chuckled, finally feeling relaxed. "As long as you write about my trees—"

 _Ha, touché, Mako._ "No." To that, he furrowed his brows, wrinkling his eyepatch.

They ate in silence, until Mako returned to the topic about Phillip. "That boy—Phillip, was it?—conversed with me after meeting you, and he said he was able to let you recollect only just today." He exhaled loudly. "Alas, my dear niece! I can say you would prefer recalling plants growing in the university over the names of your schoolmates."

Reina should've denied it, but her uncle was telling the truth. 'I prefer the company of plants than with people': this had always been her excuse. Plants never answer, never hurt, never—

"That boy will take over the old farm, Ina says," Mako continued. "He might as well apply his learnings." He harrumphed. "Old Gombe will have a fair rival in him."

Konohana had been known for its fertile land and abundant crops. All of the residents have a small garden—with Gombe's as the largest and having the most produce. However, there was an uninhabited place, with a house and an empty barn, currently vacant for any farmer willing to stay in town. Reina had thought once of using it for her research, but she knew well enough crops weren't her specialty.

Knowing Ina, the town's mayor, Reina figured Phillip was offered to use the farm. And hearing it from her uncle, she concluded that he would make better use of it.

Reina broke her bread in half. "Maybe Nori thinks otherwise." She was referring to Gombe's granddaughter, assistant on their farm, and somewhat her close acquaintance in town. They do talk when they meet along the way to the young botanist's walks or on festivals, but that was it. She appreciated Nori's efforts in trying to be close to her, but then again, she had always preferred the company of plants than with people.

Her uncle shrugged his shoulders, swallowing his bread. "What has perturbed me, however, was that the boy seemed distressed you didn't know him."

She did notice that when they met that morning. _Odd._ "How can you say so, Mako?"

"He verbalized so." He harrumphed again. "That boy is susceptible to emotions on minor things. Have you done something to him when you were still at school, Reina?"

Reina shook her head. In fact, that was what she was thinking, after finishing her report on the bamboo she was studying. She wasn't really the type to make an effort to befriend her classmates for she focused on her studies.

Like she always said, she had always preferred the company of plants than with people.

* * *

After dinner and her evening bath, she climbed to her room and turned to her working table. A thin hardbound book was laying there open.

She glanced at it. On the page was a class picture in black and white, with "Department of Botany" as its caption. She immediately found herself in the photograph: a young woman with braids shorter than what she had today and an air of definite knowledge and dedication to her degree.

She sat down and searched for Phillip's face. After a minute of squinting, she found him: still the same bushy hair, but shorter. She stared at it some more. In this image, Phillip was captured with a look of naivety—those on what she usually saw on freshmen—but well, they were younger then.

Looking at the picture, she somehow thought he didn't leave an impression on her, either.

"So, your name is Phillip, huh," she thought aloud as she read through the names in the class list. "Do you have somewhat a good memory to recall me?"

_If so, was that why he was disappointed that I forgot him?_

**Yeah, why was it? My dear readers, you can drop your opinions on your reviews~ I also accept criticisms and thoughts about my writing.**

**I do hope I get Mako right. It was pretty difficult to write about his way of speaking, to be honest. [gets dizzy]**


	3. You're Annoying

CHAPTER 3

Reina trudged slowly towards the stone bridge on the mid-Konohana part of the mountain, admiring the gaily spring ambience. Flowers lined the mountain path, embracing the sunlight and dew. Birds flew low in search for twigs for their nests. Down the bridge, the waterfall descended majestically.

But they weren't the reasons for her mountain walk. She climbed up a few low steps towards higher ground, and stopped at a small clump of grasses growing on the rocky soil. What stood out from the clump were clusters of yellow dandelions.

She squatted down, stroking its flowers. "Hello, I'm here again. How are you?" She took her notebook and pen from her workbag. "Allow me to observe you, OK?"

 _Taraxacum officinale_ _Visitation Day 10_ , Reina jotted down on her notebook. She winced at the number of days, feeling bad that she had less time for her mountain visits. She turned over the leaves, then counted them. _Progress of growth: approximately 35 days have passed since budding. The flowers have bloomed fully. Leaves are healthy, and their numbers are retained._

She smiled at the dandelions. "Keep growing, OK? You may be a kind of weed to everybody else, but to me, you are special."

Last Winter, she discovered this certain plant still budding despite the thick blanket of snow. Since then, she returned to the same spot whenever she is free—which unfortunately was difficult due to the low temperature—but she persevered. She soon found out from further reading on her books that the common dandelion could still survive on certain conditions, and so she strived to study more about them.

"You know, you should draw what you see, not describe it in words."

Reina slightly jumped at the male voice. She whirled to see Phillip who just dismounted from a white pony.

He approached her and squatted to her eye level. "A common dandelion, huh?" He grinned. "Did you know that the name means 'lion's tooth'?"

 _Of course I know that!_ she thought indignantly. But she couldn't bring herself to say anything, because Phillip continued, "Well, I guess you do know. You're not our batch's genius for nothing."

She finally managed to speak. "What are you doing here?"

"Foraging. My crops haven't grown yet, so I'm finding wild items to sell." He sighed. "It was difficult for me to start all over again. No money on a new town? I'm really thankful for Miss Ina for letting me work on the farm."

_So he did take the offer._

"Is this what you've been doing after we graduated?" he asked. "Researching?"

 _First, he was disturbing me, and now he was mocking my choice of career?_ She closed her notebook rather forcefully. "That _is_ a job of a botanist." She stood up. "Now, I still have a lot of plants to observe, so I'd better go instead of listening to your points of view on my work."

Phillip's gray eyes displayed confusion. "Did I say anything?"

Reina stopped. Yes, he didn't say anything that counted as insulting her work. However, she couldn't help scoffing as she walked down the path.

He chuckled. "No, no, I didn't mean it that way. In fact, I think researching suits you, Reina. You're smart."

_That is what most people say and think. Also a few things not worth mentioning in front of me._

When Reina turned, she noticed that Phillip was following her. "Meet Shiro, by the way," he said as he reached for the white pony's snout. "Where are you off to, Reina?"

Somehow, the look on Phillip's face required an answer from her. "Uphill," she said nonchalantly.

He mounted on Shiro. "Well, I'm on my way there, too. I can accompany you if you—"

"That is not necessary." She proceeded to walk away, expecting hoofbeats to follow. A few minutes later, she did, but there wasn't any sign of the pony beside her.

Reina turned around. They disappeared.

 _What's with him?_ She frowned. _Suddenly appearing one minute, gone the next._ She exhaled exasperatedly. _Thank the Goddess he realized sooner he's not worth wasting my time._

* * *

It was sunset when Reina decided to return home. On the way, she checked the dandelions again—being satisfied that they weren't eaten by Shiro as they are toxic to horses.

Kana's place was ahead of her by the time it went dark. The young animal shopkeeper returned the horses back to the barn, leaving a particular one behind. She knew immediately that Kana would be out tonight to ride Hayate, the said horse.

That wasn't her concern at the moment. She heard Kana call somebody by the distance. "Hey, Phillip! Done for the day, too?"

She cringed. _Oh, no, he's surely going to pester me when I will pass by._

Then, Kana hollered again. "Oh, right I'm fine, Ina. Today was good for the horses."

Reina suddenly remembered that the mayor usually surveys the town after sunset. They sometimes met on the way from Reina's mountain visits, or sometimes leave the Town Hall together whenever the young botanist comes there for more reading.

Reina made it near the town's sole shipment box when she saw Phillip and Ina conversing. He immediately greeted her. "Hello, Reina. Good thing you're back safely."

_Why, where have I been? The mountains aren't that dangerous at Spring._

He turned to Ina. "Miss Ina, I forgot to mention—I've met Reina before I moved here."

"Really, Phillip?" The mayor turned to Reina. "How have you been acquainted, Reina?"

"He was just my colleague, back at the university."

"She's my classmate, back at the university."

Reina realized that both she and Phillip answered at the same time when Ina chuckled. "Ah, I can see that. You two think alike."

"No, not really, Miss Ina," Phillip said defensively. "She's smarter than me. Imagine, Miss Ina, she topped the class for the whole time we were classmates. For four years, and no breaking of streak!"

And off he described how she acted in class. Reina, however, reddened in embarrassment, unable to stop Phillip. _W-why is he talking about…intricate things I have done in school?!_ she thought as she heard him enumerate their lessons she was most active in, her highest scores, and even one moment when she corrected their professor in Plant Genetics. She finally had the gall to stop him when he commented that the teacher got mad at the correction and gave the class a long report about jumping genes.

That should never be said, because she could still remember the furious looks on their faces after the teacher dismissed them.

Ina, however, seemed to enjoy the storytelling. "Guess you really excel in that field of yours!" she told Reina admiringly. "It's really useful for this town. You know we are known for our best crops!" She patted Phillip on the shoulders as she was leaving. "And I expect great things from your farm, Phillip. Best of luck!"

When the mayor left, Reina glared at Phillip. He must not have seen it—since it was dark—because he was beaming at her.

_Goddess, he's annoying._

**Phillip sure is a nosey one, eh? XD**


	4. Sakura Trees and Hash Browns

CHAPTER 4

"Don't you just love the cherry trees when they're in bloom, Reina?" Mako said as they exited their house. "However, it is a pity _my_ flowering trees are not to be appreciated today."

Reina sighed. _How typical of my uncle to be proud of his trees._ "They will be if they were planted all over the village, Mako."

"Oh, well." He glanced at the bento packs they were holding. "There will be great food today, so it is forgivable. I am certain Yun has prepared a feast!"

She shrugged her shoulders. Today was Cherry Blossom Festival, a day to sit under the pink-tinged foliages and share food with the villagers. Both Reina and Mako weren't the type of people to socialize often, but they were considerate enough to join festivals—as they do require attendance.

"Nothing to fret, my dear niece," Mako said, noticing her usual indifference. "I'm sure they will love the food we've brought. Especially my fruit shiratama. The ingredients are fresh off the orchard!"

"Mako, you don't even eat dessert that much."

He looked away, rather flushed. "Who says these are only for me? The food is meant to be shared."

Reina stared at her own bento pack, with hash browns freshly fried inside. She just decided at the last minute what to contribute for the festival: that morning, she asked Nori for some potatoes and used their last stock of oil, flour and herb cheese. She figured since they both liked the appetizer, they are obliged to share some with the townspeople.

They trudged towards the Town Hall in silence. They were welcomed by Yun and Ina who were preparing low tables for their outdoor event and the village children Rahi and Ying who were chatting under the cherry tree.

"Hello, Mako and Reina," the mayor greeted. "You're a little early, but we could use some help."

* * *

It was almost noon. Ayame and Hiro arrived a few minutes after them and volunteered to arrange the table at the grove. Gombe and Nori appeared next; the young woman helped Yun with setting the food in while her grandfather played with the children. Kana came later, apologizing to everyone for being late because he tended to Hayate before leaving the barn.

Everybody was there except for one.

"Where's Phillip?" Reina heard Nori ask. "Did he know there's a festival today?"

She shrugged her shoulders. _It's a shame if he will miss today_ , she thought. _But the festival wouldn't be so bad without him—_

"Ah, Reina," Ina called, interrupting her thoughts. "Why don't you try checking up on him? Being new in town, he may not know yet. He does know you already, after all."

"Really, Reina?" Nori looked at Reina in wonder. "How come?"

Everyone seemed to ask the same question. _Great, now they find it out. Thanks, Phillip._

Somehow, she should go to avoid further query. "OK, Ina, I'll get—"

"Sorry I'm late!"

Phillip came rushing in, a covered bowl in hand. He bowed hastily at Ina. "I had things to attend to at the farm. Sorry, Miss Ina."

The mayor chuckled. "It's OK. You're just in time, Phillip." She clapped her hands to call the villagers' attention. "Now, shall we start picnicking?"

* * *

"The flowers are so pretty," Nori commented, gazing at the cherry tree atop them. "Right, Reina?"

Reina nodded as she munched on Nori's vegetable stir fry. She noticed that the young seamstress was looking at her eagerly. "Do you like it?"

She smiled slightly. "Delicious as always, Nori."

"Thank you. Fresh vegetables are always the best ingredients." Nori then turned to the other young folks sitting together with them—Kana in particular, who was devouring Ina's curry rice hastily. "Um, Kana…we're not in an eating contest…"

Kana swallowed, and then grinned. "So good!"

Hiro, who was checking on Phillip's head bandages, frowned. "Kana, slow down. It is never wise not to chew."

The young animal shopkeeper chuckled. "I'm alright, Hiro. Nothin' to worry."

While Hiro was bickering about Kana's eating manners, Nori turned to Phillip. "Can I ask you a question, Phillip?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Is it really true that you and Reina knew each other before coming here to Konohana?"

"He was just my colleague, back at the university," Reina answered before Phillip could say anything. "That's all."

"Yep," Phillip agreed. Reina noticed that the twinkle in his gray eyes she saw when Ina asked that question the other day dimmed. _Odd._ "We were classmates at the university."

"That would mean that you are a botanist, too, am I correct?" Hiro asked. Phillip nodded.

"Phillip, what's Reina like in class?" Nori queried. "Can you tell us?"

They all looked at Reina, then at Phillip. _What? How come I'm the one on everyone's attention this time?_

"Yeah," Kana urged. "Is she this silent ever since?"

Hiro frowned again. "Kana!"

Kana raised his hands defensibly. "What? Isn't she?"

"No, not exactly silent," Phillip answered. "Well, she is, but once she speaks, she speaks with dignity." He fiddled inside Reina's bento pack with his chopsticks before continuing. "I remember one time when we had a group activity on observing cherry seedlings. Her groupmates insisted on just watering the plant and let it grow on usual sunlight, but Reina stubbornly brought a lamp to school and expose it there."

She knew what happened next, and Phillip confirmed it by saying, "Their leaves were the thickest in class. However, there was a storm for days, and class was suspended, so we weren't able to take care of them. By the time we came back, only their seedling lived." He suddenly saw the confused look on their faces. "Uh, it—"

"It was because of its thick leaves," Reina explained. "Thicker leaves have high photosynthetic capacity, so even with no sunlight and less water for a few days, they will still survive."

The twinkle returned when Phillip stared at Reina. She couldn't help being disconcerted. "That was the exact thing she said to the class. Might as well she said 'I told you so'."

She finally displayed her confusion. "How…did you remember it so well?"

He picked one hash brown and smiled. With the unreadable expression on his eyes, he had suddenly looked…charming. "You are something I could never forget, Reina."

Reina almost choked on her vegetable stir fry.

He took a bite. "Oh, and sorry about your hash browns." He grinned sheepishly. "They're really tasty."

"Geez, Phillip!" she heard Kana exclaim. "You cleaned off the whole pack! You're just as gluttonous!"

**What? I love hash browns, too! Or anything made from potatoes. XD**


	5. Peace Offerings

CHAPTER 5

"Are you setting off to the mountains again, Reina?" Mako asked incredulously as he watched his niece rushing from the stairs.

"Yes, Mako." She went to the kitchen and packed some asazuke. "I'll be back before sunset, and—"

"—if whoever looks for you must not be told where you will go." Mako raised his eyebrow. "You have been doing and saying such strange things for three days. Is something bothering you?"

"Research work," she replied curtly. "I'm off, Mako."

Mako sighed, watching the door slam while sipping his tea. "At seven in the morning?"

* * *

Reina cautiously walked the path where Kana's shop passed. She glanced at the direction towards Phillip's farm.

" _You are something I could never forget, Reina."_

She shook her head, trying to disregard what he had said during the Cherry Blossom Festival. Since then, she couldn't face him without feeling so confused, frustrated, and—as much as she didn't want to admit it—embarrassed.

"What was he implying?" she thought aloud furiously as she made it to the verdant mountain road. "If he was joking, it wasn't even funny!"

As of the moment, frustration was the most prominent of her pooled-up emotions to show.

For three days, she had been trying to distract herself by continuing her research. She somehow succeeded; but the moment she took her mind off her plants, it went elsewhere: towards a certain annoying colleague of hers.

She crossed her arms. _This is not good. Ever since he came to Konohana, he had been a nuisance to my research._

She stopped by the dandelions. "Good morning," she greeted them. "Shall you help me get focused once more?"

* * *

Reina was about to go to the mountaintop when she heard hoofbeats. _Please, Goddess_ , she pleaded silently, _let it be Kana's horse—_

"Good morning, Reina," a familiar baritone voice rang.

— _just…not Phillip's._ She brisk walked, trying to widen their distance. However, Phillip managed to catch up, with Shiro slowly striding beside her.

"I haven't seen you in days," he started. "What were you busy at?"

She decided not to reply, still having the same pace of walking towards the spring. _I was busy avoiding you. I was busy trying to figure out what would you want with me!_

He looked ahead. "I've been going to Bluebell these past few days, as Raul told me they sell animals there."

Bluebell, the town on the other side of the mountain, had been Konohana's rival for years. Since Reina returned to town after graduating, she was obliged to participate in the Cooking Festival which occurs four times a season. Apparently, everybody from the two towns weren't in good terms. Not that she cared.

_But that aside, why was he talking like I should know where he was?_

Phillip turned to her, noticing her silence. "I'm too talkative, am I?"

She couldn't help blurting out, "Thank you for finally realizing that." She caught herself a little too late, cupping her mouth.

He smiled slightly, hurt evident in his gray eyes. "As I thought. Well, you don't have to listen to whatever I say, Reina. See you." He urged his pony to run forward.

_Oh, great._

* * *

_You and your rudeness, Reina! You should've kept silent_ , Reina scolded herself on the way when the orange sky forced her to return to town. Today, she had totally lost concentration as she thought of how Phillip acted that morning. _This is one reason why you don't have friends_ , she thought grimly.

"Reina."

The young botanist turned to see Phillip dismount and approach her. _The last person I wanted to see._ All the guilt she repressed the whole afternoon slowly rose up. "If you're here to make me apologize, that's not necessary because I'm going to say so—"

"No. I should be the one apologizing." He exhaled shakily, as if trying to breathe out his nervousness. "Look. I know I was acting like we knew each other too much, and I can see that you're not too comfortable with it." He extended his hand. On it was a small chamomile floweret.

 _Matricaria chamomilla_ _._ It brought back memories from her first year in the university.

" _What will I pick?"_

_Reina scanned the menu lined with different kinds of tea. Just this morning, she found out a new tea café was open nearby the university, and she decided to check it out after a long exam._

" _Why don't you try their herb tea?" a young man's voice rang out. "It's relaxing, and you'll love the chamomile scent."_

_Suddenly, she felt steam rise up to her face. She looked down and saw a fresh cup of tea that smelled of chamomile._

_Reina turned to a_ _café crew member_ _who was busy pouring some more tea. "Did you just recommend tea to me?" she asked._

_The crew member_ _smiled. "Ah, no, miss. Another customer did. He even paid for your cup."_

_Reina looked around for the mysterious customer, but failed to see him._ _The crew member_ _said, "He already left, miss. I do suggest you drink your tea. It's getting cold."_

_She nodded, then sipped gingerly. The mysterious customer was right; it was relaxing, especially the chamomile scent. Immediately, she was relieved of her stress from studying for her exams._

_Since then, despite not finding out who that person was, she had been a frequent customer to the said café, ordering the same herb tea which became her favorite. It helped her calm down and de-stress._

"What is this for?" she asked Phillip.

"A peace offering." He smiled. "Why don't we start over by getting to know each other?"

"Why?"

"I would like to know you more." She unintentionally flushed. _Why was it sounding so…odd coming from him?_

He continued, "Since I'm new in town, it really helps to have someone I know already. But you don't know me that much, either. I guess…I guess it would be fair for both of us." He extended his hand further. "Please accept this. This is the least I could give you."

"No, it's enough." She accepted it. "Thank you."

His smile became hopeful. "Apology accepted, too?"

Oddly, she couldn't get mad. _Hmm._ "We'll see."

He beamed. "Thank you!" He ran and mounted Shiro. "I'll go on ahead. I have to herd my chicken back. See you!" He happily rode away.

 _Too hopeful._ She turned to the chamomile she was holding. She smiled. _Actually, he should know he managed to calm me down today._

**I try my best to be as technical to the game as possible, such as including the feud between the two towns (but of course it's not the main focus of the story). Of course, gift-giving, too!**


	6. Rough Sketches

CHAPTER 6

Since that day, Reina would receive at least one kind of gift from Phillip a day. Usually, she would get chamomile, but occasionally, she would have some wildflowers and bamboo shoots. "You could use it for your research if you want to," he had once said. She did, but she saved some herbs for drying. One rainy night, she tried to use them to make herb tea from scratch.

 _He doesn_ _'_ _t have to shower me with gifts_ , she thought as she waited for the water to boil. _What is he doing, wooing me? One peace offering was enough._

They did keep the other part of the arrangement: getting to know each other, albeit slowly and awkwardly. On Reina's mountain visit days, Phillip made them to be his foraging days as well just to take time with her. They mostly discussed about plants, exchanging discoveries on their specific fields.

 _But that was it_ , she concluded, watching her cup getting full as she poured the tea. _That was what he wanted, and I gave it to him. Nothing more._

She gingerly drank her own concoction, then frowned in disgust. _I believe it_ _'_ _s best to just stick to canned_ _tea._

* * *

Reina smiled as she looked out from her window the next morning. The rain stopped, covering the whole scenery outside in dew and sunshine. _A lovely day to be taking a morning walk._ She got dressed and asked permission from Mako who was applying fertilizer to his trees.

It was still early, but everybody was bustling awake to tend to their chores. Reina decided not to say anything in greeting as to not disturb them. _I respect focus on work, after all._

Still wanting to see more of the early morning view, she climbed to the mountain path. It didn't disappoint her: it was more beautiful than the scenery in town, with the flowers opening wide to the misty air and slowly-rising sun. _This is one of the reasons why I want to be a botanist. Aside from the fascinating qualities of plants, they show beauty even people cannot exceed._

She proceeded to climb higher when she saw somebody with bushy chestnut-brown hair sitting by the river edge.

 _Phillip. Who else has bushy brown hair?_ She noticed him place a large notebook beside him then stand up to stretch.

She suddenly got curious. _Hmm, I_ _didn't_ _know he is researching, too._

Phillip did a turn-around stretch, then met Reina's eyes. "Oh, good morning!" he called, waving at her.

She nodded in reply, staying in her spot as she watched him pick up the notebook and run towards her.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

"I'm off to see the view up high."

He turned to the sky. "A pretty morning, right? I would love to see it from there, too." He smiled at her. "May I come with you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I woke up early this morning, so I'm all done. So, may I?"

 _Remember what he said last time_ , she reminded herself. _It would be fair for both of us._ She shrugged her shoulders, giving him a silent permission to follow her.

* * *

"Wow!" Phillip exclaimed. "The view's nice way up here! It's different compared to when we will have the Cooking Festival."

"Pfft," Reina stifled a snicker. "No one can appreciate when everybody is on the mood to compete."

He chuckled. "My point exactly." He took his notebook and rummaged through his pockets. "Where is it?" he muttered. He finally found what he was looking for: a black mechanical pencil, with the eraser already shrunk due to frequent use.

"What are you doing?"

He flipped through the pages quick, but Reina was able to see their contents. _Drawings?_ "Can you sketch?" she asked.

He scratched his head in modesty. "Oh, uh, yeah. I'm not that good, though."

She snatched his notebook and opened the cover. "Let me be the judge of that."

Most pages were filled with rough sketches of some plants, but there were some that were painstakingly drawn: nestlings on a low branch, a raccoon somehow dashing through the flowered path, or a sleeping bear under a large log.

She travelled her fingers onto the latest sketch, which was fish darting on clear water. "You should've taken Fine Arts instead of Botany."

"That was an option, but I consider drawing as a hobby instead of profession. And…" He scratched his head again. "I don't usually show this to people. Actually, you're the first to see them."

 _That_ _'_ _s_ _…_ _not typical of him._ "Why?"

He looked towards the view overhead. "Well…back at where I lived, my parents have always been practical. They always tell me to pursue a degree that would earn me enough to live. I mean, they respect my choices, but they don't see my talent as…profitable."

Reina thought of her own career choice. "But, isn't Botany all researching?"

He turned to her. "Not unless you work on a farm. I always find the idea of living in a farm nice, and I want to fulfill that by being a botanist. Now, I'm just happy to work here in Konohana."

A _dream follower, I see. And I believe he did accomplish it._ "Now I know one more thing you can do well aside from trying to converse with me."

Phillip frowned. "I'm not sure if that was a compliment I just heard."

For the first time since they met, she let out a light laugh. "Yes, it is. Simply said, you make great drawings, Phillip."

Reina then noticed the familiar twinkle in Phillip's eyes returning. "You said my name," he commented. "That's a first."

 _Oh, is it the first, too?_ "Of course I can say your name."

"You didn't say it before."

"Well, I'm saying it now." She cocked her head high. "Phillip, Phillip, Phillip. There, happy?"

He just grinned, the twinkle still there. "May I have my notebook back?"

She returned it to him and watched him use a new page. As she observed him start some light curves and lines, she pondered on what she thought back at the mountain path—the one that stated plants show beauty humans couldn't exceed.

_I_ _believe_ _I could make an exception today._

**I dedicate this chapter to the shy artists out there. Go ahead and show your masterpieces to the public! Who cares if they won** **'** **t be appreciated by everybody? You never learn to improve if those works just sit by your shelves and not see the light of day. Who knows** **—** **there are people out there who are constructive critics, and maybe some who prefer your style! Art, after all, is everything perceptive.**

**Actually, there are more in the world of ToTT aside from Phillip** **who has bushy brown hair. Can you guess who?**


	7. How To Act on First Dates

CHAPTER 7

"An offer?" Nori asked.

Reina nodded rather shyly. "But, I don't know how to deal with people, so…so…"

Nori smiled gently. "Of course you can come ask me for help, Reina. I can give you a hand anytime." She gestured Reina to come inside the seed shop. "Now, tell me what's up."

* * *

" _One: find the person involved when he's free. When you do, ask time for you two to talk."_

Nori's words rang in Reina's head when she trudged towards the Town Hall the next day. _Free?_ she thought skeptically. _I don't think he will be available with the kind of occupation he has._

"Hello, Reina!"

She looked up, noticing Phillip approach her from the bulletin board. He seemed to be holding a few folded papers. "I see you're off to read. Guess I won't—"

"May…may we talk?" Reina blurted out. Realizing what she said, she mentally scolded herself, _That wasn't supposed to be asked first!_ "I…I mean, are you free today?"

Phillip blinked in surprise. "Well, I don't have chores to do. I do have requests, but these can wait. What do you want to talk about?"

" _Two: find a place you two are comfortable with. It's best to ask the person where to go."_

"Where do you want to go? I…I'll tell you later when we'll be there."

Phillip blinked some more. "Sure?" When she nodded, he looked over to Yun's shop overhead. "You hungry? We could go there at Yun's."

 _Yun's Tea House is a comfortable place. I believe it will do._ She nodded again.

Their walking together—with Reina always a few steps forward—was silent like their usual trips to the mountain; but today, for her, it was getting more awkward now that she initiated. _I am sure he thinks strangely of me today._

The tea house—which is usually full of some working villagers taking their lunch—was empty when they came in; Yun, the owner, just finished cleaning up a table. "Oh, good afternoon, Reina," she greeted, "and Phillip. What can I do for you two?"

He turned to her. "Do you want anything?"

" _Three: when he offers you choices, be decisive."_

She looked over to the line of food at the counter. "Bamboo dumplings will do."

"Great." He approached the counter, following the elder woman. "That one—and one bamboo shoot rice for me, please. I'll pay the lot."

" _Four: when there is something needed to be paid, offer such."_

Reina clutched her pouch filled with gold from her savings. "No, I'll pay for mine."

Phillip smiled. "Don't worry, it's my treat. I felt like spending today since I earned much from my crops yesterday." He handed the exact amount while watching Yun scoop the rice. "How about we stay at the patio outside? It's a good day out."

She hesitated, weighing over between the possibilities of being seen by other villagers and having privacy for their topic. In the end, she nodded in agreement.

* * *

" _Should I go ahead and open the offer after all of those?"_ Reina remembered asking Nori.

" _Already? You can start by conversing—"_

" _You know I'm not that good with that."_

" _I am sure you can find something to talk about. Maybe…similar interests?"_

 _But what else?_ she thought as she fiddled on the bow of her skirt under the table.

"Anything wrong?" Phillip asked.

"N-no, nothing." _Ugh, never mind that._ "Phillip…did you bring your notebook with you today?"

He seemed taken aback by the question. "Yes, I have it all the time. Why?"

"I would like to see your sketches again. If it is fine with you."

"Sure." He searched through the contents of his rucksack and found the notebook. "Here."

Reina skimmed through the pages. There were a few new drawings of wildflowers added from the last time she saw them.

"Reina?"

She looked up, startled. "Y-yes?"

"Sorry for wondering, but it's not usual for you to ask time from me." He quickly recollected himself. "Uh, I don't mean it in a bad way! It's just not usual."

"It's fine. I'm not offended." _I am not, and I shouldn't be_ , she assured internally. _It will ruin everything._

Their orders arrived brought by Yun, who bowed slightly after hearing their thanks.

They started eating in silence. Reina was still staring at the sketches while thoughtfully munching on the dumplings. _I believe I should say something now._

"Phillip," she started, still looking at the notebook. "You told me last time you don't consider your talent as profitable…if I am not mistaken."

The clanging of bowl and chopstick contact stopped, meaning she got Phillip's attention. "Uh, yes," she heard him reply with a tinge of nervousness. _He seemed anxious of whatever this conversation is headed_ , she guessed.

"Well…" She looked up as she continued. "I think otherwise." She cleared her throat after seeing Phillip's wide gray eyes and slightly pink cheeks. "I propose we work together. As what…colleagues do."

" _But if that's what you want, being straightforward is good, too."_

He didn't say anything, forcing her to explain as best as how she rehearsed it with Nori. "You know I'm working on a journal, right? I…I would like an illustrator for my findings…you did say it once I need one. And you…you fit the part, so…"

_Goddess, I am not used to this._

Phillip still wasn't talking, face obviously displaying astonishment. "Did you understand what I was saying?" Reina couldn't help snapping. "Your talent deserves to be acclaimed, and I can help you through my journal! Don't you want that?"

"Are…are you serious?"

She crossed her arms. _When wasn't I serious?_

To her surprise, he smiled widely. "Of course we can work together! Why should I say no? As long as it's you I'll work with."

Now it was her turn for her cheeks to turn pink.

* * *

 _Thank Goddess it went well_ , Reina thought with relief as they exited the tea house. She still recalled their conversations after the agreement: what samples to draw, what could be added to make the journal more informative, and even on how they reminisced a few renowned research topics they had at school.

 _I forgot. I should express my gratitude._ "T-thanks for accepting, Phillip," she managed to stutter.

"No problem. When do we start, though?"

"Tomorrow will do—after your chores, of course. We can work at my laboratory." She turned towards Mako's house. "I…I had fun, I believe," she unintentionally slipped. When she heard herself, she shrugged it off. _No use taking that back._ "S-see you."

She heard him chuckle before she moved away. "What a great day, Goddess," he said, obviously not meant for her. "Great earning, another job offering, and a date with Reina! I couldn't ask for more."

She almost tripped. _T-that was a date?!_

**Just to clear some confusion on this chapter, those italicized advices on quotation marks came from Nori, who Reina approached for some help. So poor Reina doesn't have ANY idea she was given tips on dating (hence the title). All are guaranteed to be foolproof—though I've never tried some of them. XD**


	8. The Goddess Watches Over Botanists

CHAPTER 8

The next day, Phillip did show up and sketched for her journal while Reina reread her inputs to him as descriptions. She noticed that when he drew, he shifted from the annoying schoolmate to a hardworking artist who poured all his energy to creating strokes and shades. _I believe I made the right choice of having him as my illustrator_ , she thought. _The Board will never say no to my journal now!_

The day at the tea house may be the first time they went out together—as least as colleagues, for her—but it wasn't the only one. After finishing some illustrations on cells and plant structure, he always suggested they could take a good walk somewhere.

_To which I shouldn't refuse. I owe him a job, after all._

However, she admitted to herself that it _is_ a little nice to take a few minutes of break—something she couldn't do when she is working alone. Just like what they were doing that Monday noon, two days after the offer.

"The spring?" Phillip asked as he trudged behind Reina at the mountain path.

Reina nodded. "I want to check some plants there. Some were those I have never seen before."

She heard him vocalize a soft "mm-hm". "Must be the Harvest Goddess's doing."

She stopped walking and turned to him, face tinged with amazement. "With that said, you are one of them."

"Huh?"

"You are one of those who believed that the Harvest Goddess existed in that very spring. Am I right?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Kind of. Aren't you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Science is more concrete than fairy tales with names used as mere expression." She does use the expression in her head—as it rolls off quite smoothly—but it was only until there.

"I understand. Maybe because I am a farmer, and it is mandatory to thank Her for the good harvest and weather. And springs had been Her shrines, a priest once said." He cupped his mouth as he yawned. "But of course, there are other things to thank the Harvest Goddess."

"Such as?"

"Well, how about we get there first?"

* * *

To the young botanist, whenever she visited the spring, she would always see it as having that ethereal glow. Now, even if the Spring season almost ended that day, the colorful flowers surrounding the body of water still rimmed with health.

She wouldn't mind studying them, but there was a plant there that brought great interest to her. This plant grew together with the flowers, but oddly, it wasn't blooming with them. On her mountain visits, she still saw it as a bud.

But not today.

Reina gasped when she faced the direction of the flowers. "Look at that! The plant finally bloomed!"

Phillip squinted. "Which one, Reina? All of them are in full bloom."

She had never felt so delighted before. She eagerly pointed the spot she was sure the plant was sprouting. "That one! The one with the blue-tinged petals!" She hurriedly approached the plant, leaving a still-puzzled Phillip.

At that moment, she didn't hesitate to talk to a plant with someone around. Not when she was this happy. "Wow, you've grown so well!" She hastily picked up her notebook and started to write her observations, all done while giving compliments to the sprout.

She didn't notice Phillip looking over her shoulder until he spoke. "You're right; some plants here are unfamiliar. Just like this one."

"Yes. It is the first time I've seen it bloom."

"No wonder you were so excited."

She heard a soft thump on the grass and turned to see him sitting beside her. "W-what?" _H-he is just inches away from me!_

"Oh, go ahead and observe it. I'll be waiting."

Her concern suddenly shifted from the plant's growth to their proximity. "Y-you can't just sit close."

He then saw her uneasiness. "Sorry." He moved a little bit away.

Her gaze went towards her workbag, now totally disconcerted. _That was nothing, that was nothing_ , she tried to reassure herself as she searched for her tools.

Phillip yawned audibly. "Do you mind if I can rest for a few minutes? At least I won't be disturbing you."

She shook her head as she took a magnifying glass. _A little concentration would be good, thank you._

* * *

Reina didn't know how much time had passed since she started observing the plant. The last thing she knew was that the spring was starting to reflect the pink cloudy skies.

 _Oh, no, is it this late now?_ She packed her tools and unintentionally turned to see Phillip sitting under a shady tree, with one hand holding a yellow flower and eyes being closed.

_Phillip? Has he been there all this time?_

She approached him and stared at him. Now that he was being calm—emphasis on not being so annoying—she can see some fine features. His hair from up close is actually reddish-brown, not chestnut. Some light freckles are evenly distributed on his face, too. _Certainly…not bad-looking_ , she admitted.

_Why was he still here? If I took time this long, he should've left. Maybe if he was awake, he might've went back to town—_

Her thoughts were interrupted when slowly, light-gray orbs rose to meet her olive-green ones. She quickly moved away. "O-oh, you're up."

"Huh?" he asked drowsily. "How long was I asleep?" Phillip stretched and checked his watch. The deed perked him up. "What, two hours?"

 _Two hours?!_ "S-sorry, Phillip. Once I get wrapped up in studying plants, I lose track of everything else…"

"Not a problem." He chuckled. "I did get a shut-eye. I'm kinda sleep-deprived for days."

Reina guessed that it was because of his extra illustrating. "Was I making you work too much?"

"Ah, no, we've just started yet. And it's just house décor that's keeping me busy at the farm, that's all. Just to brighten things up." He glanced at the spring. "So, I see you're done with observing the plant."

She nodded. Every single detail was taken and noted; maybe in the next few visits, she would continue monitoring.

"OK, come with me, then." He stood and gestured her to follow him towards the spring edge. To Reina's surprise, he tossed the flower he was holding a while back.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm making an offering to the Harvest Goddess." He clasped his hands, somewhat like in prayer. "Goddess, we thank You for always looking out for the plants, keeping them healthy. Thank You, too, for giving Reina a chance to see your plants and watching over her."

"Me?"

He turned to her with eyes twinkling, matching his smile. "Yep. If the Goddess watches over farmers, I'm sure She watches over botanists, too. Even though science can't explain it, believing She does won't hurt, right?"

_Well…he has a point._

He gazed at the floating flower before returning to her. "You wanna say something, too?"

"Well, mostly to you. Sorry if I dragged you into this." _Nobody would want to be with me, but you stayed…for reasons I do not know._ Reina felt comforted with the thought. "But thanks to you, I made an interesting discovery."

"You're welcome." He started walking forward. "So, shall we go?"

She nodded. Before she followed him, she whirled to glance at the spring again. _Goddess, if you are real, you must've known how much this colleague of mine believes in You. But he doesn't have to let You bless people who slightly don't._

 _However…_ She gave a hint of a smile. _Thanks, anyway._

"Anything wrong?"

She hastened her pace. "Nothing. Let's go."

Neither of them saw a green-haired maiden who daintily picked up the flower from the spring.

**I felt like adding a few parts to the event (yes, if you played ToTT, this scene would be Reina's Purple Flower Event), because I can't just let Phillip stand and watch her just like in the game. And their beliefs in the Harvest Goddess somehow fit, too. I hope.**

**unknown female voice: DUM-DA-DA-DAAA!**

**Uh-oh. Is it—?**

**unknown female voice: I am such an honoured guest in this chapter. So, as a favour to teamBLAZE, please rate and review! Toodles!**

**[sweatdrops] ...uh, thanks?**


	9. A Night of Pandas

CHAPTER 9

"Reina," Phillip called at the newly-arrived young botanist, holding a slide. "Should I draw this, too?"

Reina set down a tray with two tall glasses of banana juice, freshly picked from Mako's orchard and pressed. "What specimen is that?"

He read the description taped at the side. "'B. tulda bark cell'. Bamboo?"

She was suddenly reminded of the first time he climbed in the laboratory, back when she was working on bamboos. _And to imagine I thought he was around to disturb my research. Now, he is assisting me._ "Yes, include that."

"So, is it OK to use the microscope?"

She nodded and watched him work on the apparatus. "Go get your juice if you're thirsty," she said as she chose a glass and walked towards her bedroom.

"Thank you, my gracious host," he replied, voice full of amusement.

 _Touché._ She had been expecting that reply from him, as that would be what he always answered when she offered her hospitability.

 _I'm not that used to having guests_ , she reasoned as she fixed her midnight-black hair higher than usual. _Even though we have worked for five days already, I'm still…a little awkward around him._ Here, she only talked when necessary; after all, when one is focused on what he is doing, who requires conversing?

Phillip seemed to respect that, as long as they are at the laboratory. Once they left the house, he returned to his usual self—something she was learning to tolerate after all that happened to them lately.

She fanned herself. _It is starting to feel warmer, now that Summer is approaching._ She sipped her juice while returning to the laboratory.

She caught Phillip already gulping his. When he was done, he glimpsed at the slide through the eyepiece. "Where did you get the stalk for this, Reina?" he asked.

"I asked the village smithy to get one for me."

"Ah, Sheng? Yeah, he loves bamboos more than everyone else in Konohana, because pandas eat those." He turned to add a few lines to his drawing, which is starting to look exactly like the specimen. "But, do you know where he got these?"

She shrugged her shoulders. Reina knew that there was a grove close to where the village smithy lived, but everyone else also knew that Ina had mentioned not to tamper with anything, to somehow protect the natural habitat of wild animals.

"Hmm," he pondered. "It's not the one close to the town entrance…" _Of course, he would know that as well._ "Oh! I think I know where Sheng found some."

Her curiosity took over. "Where?"

By then, Phillip was muttering. "Oh, is it today? I bet it is, since Spring is over—"

"Phillip, talk properly."

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." He picked up his half-empty glass. "Since you asked, how about if I'll take you there?"

 _Another offer for a walk._ This colleague of hers was getting consistent. "Should we go now?"

"No. Tonight, if that's alright."

* * *

Until now—when the stars dotted the dark skies, giving little light to the mountain path—Reina was still not sure of Phillip's choice of time. "Does it have to be nighttime?"

"You'll see why, Reina. Don't worry; I'll take you home after."

She crossed her arms, now letting the young farmer lead the way. _If I am in doubt, why am I still following him?_ she scolded herself. _Oh, the absurd things curiosity could do to you, Reina._

They stopped at somewhere Reina would usually pass by. "Here," she heard him speak; now, only his silhouette is seen. "It's a ledge. Need help cli—?"

"No thanks." She stepped upward before Phillip could even turn. _I can see fine, thank you very much._

They made it to a high ledge by the time fireflies glowed around a tree nearby. The critters also gave light to an object suspended by a rope.

_Wait, is that—?_

"Oh, Reina, have you ridden the zipline?"

She suddenly felt nervous. "Z-zipline?"

"We have to ride one to get there." He cocked his head sideways. "Never used it before?"

 _Well, that would explain why I've never explored this part of the mountain before!_ She shook her head, both as an answer and a way to take off her growing anxiety. "B-but for my research—let's go, then."

If there were enough lighting, she swore she would see him blink questioningly. "Guess we should ride together."

 _What?_ "Do we have to?"

"I think you won't make it by yourself, Reina." His next statement sounded rather coy. "Oh, can you? For your research, you say?"

"O-of course I can!" _Either riding alone or with him; I can't choose!_ Driven by the challenge from Phillip's tone, she stomped forward and stepped one foot at the wooden platform of the zipline.

When she held on to the rope and stepped her other foot up, the platform wobbled, making her lose her temporary confidence. _Goddess,_ no _, just don't slide, don't slide—_

A slightly calloused hand firmly wrapped her own that held onto the rope, and an arm snaked on her waist securely. "Hold on tight, Reina."

Phillip's voice had never sounded so calming in her ears.

The zipline now slid forward without warning, accelerating to speed beyond Reina's measure. All she could do to avoid screaming is to bite her inner cheek and grip Phillip's arm hard.

"On three, jump, Reina!" he instructed as his arm slowly let go of her waist.

 _Jump? How high are we, anyway?!_ Out of nerves, she still wasn't releasing her grip on him. "One," Phillip started counting, "two—!"

She leaped even before he could breathe the next number, landing haphazardly on the grassy ground. He jumped after her, the sound of his feet deafened by the platform hitting hard on another tree.

He was immediately on her side. "Are you OK?"

She tried to steady herself before shock took over as she snapped at him. "Are you out of your mind?! Do you want to bring harm to the both of us?!" He turned behind him, somehow not listening. "Why, listen to me—"

But he excitedly put a finger to her lips to silence her. "Shh, they're here."

Her voice toned down to a furious hiss. "Don't 'shh' me, mister. And who's here?"

He gestured her to come forward. "Here." He shifted a few stalks of bamboo—something Reina just saw now—and allowed her a view.

She widened her eyes. In front of them was an open grove much bigger than the one in town. Lit by fireflies, a small family of pandas were feeding on the bamboo. All were unaware of their presence; even a baby panda was suckling on a young stalk up close, undisturbed.

She turned to the grinning Phillip. "How…?"

"Cool, right? They only come at night, when people don't go explore these parts." He gazed at some pandas that were now staring hypnotized at the glowing insects. "It would be nice to come here in daytime, where we can really observe the plants, but seeing pandas coming out together is a rare sight. They are solitary, after all."

She gazed at them, too, right at the moment where an adult panda was cuddling the baby affectionately. _Right, just like…me._

Phillip continued, "But they can't be alone forever. They depend on another to live, just like they depended on bamboo for food." He chuckled. "Kinda bad analogy, don't you think?"

Reina stifled a laugh, now completely forgotten her earlier outburst. "If you were trying to be humorous, do better next time."

"At least just say you get what I meant."

"But, aren't male pandas leaving the females once breeding season ends? That kind of dependence is too brief—they only have to because it is necessary, and not done by choice." She couldn't help muttering, "People are similar—"

"No, they're not. I never said anything about pandas and people being the same." He released his hand from the bamboo stalks, as the pandas were starting to leave, and whirled to face her. "People can choose. They can choose to be on their own, or they can choose to depend. What would you pick, Reina?"

_I know what I chose: being alone. And I am satisfied with this choice._

Phillip seemed to read what she was thinking. "Remember, though, people can also choose to be dependable. These people who do…might be someone you can depend on. And you won't be regretting that."

She gave it an afterthought. _Easy for you to say. You are dependable—_ She was slightly surprised with her word usage. _Wait…_

He smiled knowingly. "Well, we'd better head home; it's late."

* * *

"Are you going back there soon to observe on the bamboos?" Phillip asked when they managed to arrive at Mako's house safely.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I already have enough data." _Besides, I am_ never _riding that zipline again._ "But those pandas…" she muttered shyly. "…were cute…"

He chuckled. "You bet. I was happy you liked what you saw." He patted her head. His hand somehow sat comfortably there. "Well, you said in our agreement tomorrow's my day off, right? I'll see you day after tomorrow, then."

He started to walk away when Reina called. "Wait." When he turned, she crossed her arms. "About what you said at the grove…about on being dependable…"

"Yes?"

"I don't think no one would be dependable because he wanted it of his own will. Even people do things because they are benefited, and they are using it to their advantage."

"Wrong again. There are exceptions to that." He turned back and waved. "Goodnight, Reina."

She frowned. _Well, then, who would? You?_ She hung her head low. _Are you different from them? I hope not, not when I am starting to depend on you as a colleague._


	10. Envying Tape Measures

**Hello! I welcome you readers to the More Than Just Colleagues Specials! I have in mind three chapters that are narrated in other villagers' POV, compared to the usual Reina-POV chapters we had. This is the first one; however, the next two won't come yet until the story progresses. I wrote this in celebration for making it to ten chapters. :D**

**Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 10

"All right, it's the last stitch," Nori reminded herself when she passed the needle through a blue-green hem of cloth. She then wound the thread to close the stitches and cut it. "And it's done."

She raised the cloth to survey her work. She smiled. Sewing has been Nori's quiet passion: she always appreciated how something beautiful could come up from simple pieces of cloth, and how useful this would be to someone who wears it.

"I am sure she will fancy this," she said as she folded it neatly. "Now, she will come anytime soon—"

The shop door opened. She heard her grandfather Gombe greet the customer, "Why, hello, Phillip! What brings you here to our shop?"

"I'm here for Nori's request."

Nori remembered that she posted one in the town bulletin board about new clothes. _Phillip must have taken it_ , she thought. She went out of her bedroom to meet him.

"Good morning, Nori," the young farmer said. "I brought what you need."

"Thank you. Now, please stay at the living room, and I'll get my tape measure." She had forgotten to bring it with her that moment. She went back to her room and opened her kit.

The tape measure was a gift from her grandmother, who taught her the art of sewing. That, and her other sewing materials, was what she had left from her personal mentor before she died.

When she came out, Phillip was there sitting by the table, chatting with Gombe about planting soybeans.

"Excuse me," she called his attention. "I'll take your measurements now."

He nodded, stood up and folded his long yellow sleeves. Nori had commented on the design of Phillip's work outfit before: despite having a lot of layers, it is comfortable and light for outdoors.

She started off with his front trunk length and shoulder width. As she was writing down the numbers, the shop door opened again.

"Good morning, Reina," she heard Phillip greet.

Nori looked up and saw the young botanist. "Hello. I finished adjusting it."

"Thanks."

"Reina," Phillip asked, "you had some clothes fixed?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It's an old favorite I had in college. It's a little loose already, so I want it adjusted."

He turned to Nori, who was now measuring his arm circumference. _His muscles are slightly toned; must be because of farm work._ "Do you know? Reina always wear long skirts at the university."

It was old news that Reina and Phillip were college classmates; at their Cherry Blossom Festival, the two confirmed it, with the latter even telling a story of the former. After hearing that, Nori was certain that the two could progress into something much more than that.

Three weeks ago, Reina asked Nori's help on how to make formal arrangements. She figured the young botanist would talk to him; and so, to materialize her convictions, she intentionally gave her some dating advices she knew from Yun—to which she is sure Reina will follow.

It wasn't that she wanted to lie to her. She was just concerned, as her friend's awkwardness would never make her find out the obvious.

Reina crossed her arms. "I don't care what should people look like."

_Ah, but she does. I can see that in her face._

"It doesn't matter, though," he continued, still turning to Nori. "She looks good on it, right?"

The young seamstress glimpsed at Reina, whose face was now in a shade of crimson. _It is the nature of girls to feel flattered, whatever the degree of composure_ , she thought amusingly. "I-I'll take it now, Nori."

 _But that would mean she will leave shortly. She should—_ An idea formed into her head. "Ah, could you wait just a moment? I would like to finish Phillip's measurements first."

Reina considered. _Please say yes_ , Nori pleaded silently. "OK—if it'll take for a while." She sat down across them, interest now on a magazine below.

Nori picked up the tape measure, relieved. "I'll take your chest and waist circumference," she instructed to Phillip. "Please raise your arms a little."

He complied. Since she was at his back, she encircled her arms to wrap the calibrated tape on his chest. When she lowered it down to measure his waist, Reina looked up from the magazine she was already reading.

"Nori, this design…" Suddenly, she cut off her sentence.

"Yes? What is it, Reina?" She met her face, which was now twisting into a scowl. "Is there any problem?"

"Don't get too close to him; he is a pervert." She was staring at the tape measure now wrapped at his lean abdomen.

"Hey, now," he interjected. "Like I said so many times, if I won't hold you then, you'll—"

She flushed furiously, matching her tone. "Don't say a word!"

Nori figured something happened to the two of them, but she pressed no further. "You don't have to argue." She proceeded to jot down the figures before returning to her. "Now, what is it again?"

Reina immediately lost the run of conversation. "Never mind." However, her olive-green eyes were glued to the pages filled with different urban designs.

"Ah, are you asking about those? They're what I posted for." She took Phillip's shoulder circumference, noticing how the young farmer was eagerly listening to them talk. "I know our town has rather beautiful designs, but it would be fancy to see us wear something different for a change."

She shrugged her shoulders as an answer. Nori continued, "You studied in a university, right? I'm sure you've seen many interesting ones."

Reina rested her chin on her palm. "Interesting, huh." She pointed to a particular model wearing a blue vest and torn jeans. "This one, maybe? But it is a crude image of youth. Casual, as what it's plainly called. Young people wear it because it is a trend. What's so interesting with that?"

Nori smiled gently, already used to her friend's cold exterior. "Reina, you don't seem to be the person to comment on clothing."

She crossed her arms. "I merely responded to you."

 _Still, choosing it from the other designs…she must've fancied it._ The young seamstress reviewed Phillip's measurements, and seeing it was adequate, she nodded. "Phillip, it's done. I'll take the wool I requested. Meanwhile, you must pick something so that I can have it adjusted tonight." She gestured Reina to follow her. "How about we fit _your_ clothes now?"

"Now? I'll just have to take it home and do it there."

Nori tried her best to be more genuine at her next statement. "Please? I want to see it on you." _Really, I do. And I think someone else does, too._ Before she could stop herself, she held the young botanist's hand gently and tugged both of them in her room.

* * *

"Couldn't you believe this?" Nori exclaimed as she glanced at Reina.

Reina was wearing the ones she fixed that morning: a pale yellow blouse with a wide collar and long sea-green sleeves, and a flowing skirt with orange and green hues. She was tugging at her similarly-colored apron, secured through a yellow ribbon at her waist.

"The design was good the first time I saw it," she continued, "but it is better _on_ you." She turned to Gombe and Phillip, who were around the living room. "Don't you think so, too?"

Her grandfather chuckled. "Hoho, why, you never looked so youthful, dear!"

Phillip, on the other hand, was actually _gaping_ at Reina. Nori seemed to notice a tinge of pink on his cheeks. _As I expected!_ "Well, what do you think, Phillip?" she asked.

"I…uh—" He cleared his throat. "See? I told you she looks good on long skirts."

Nori heard Reina mutter, "I dislike being critiqued based on my appearance." She then spoke up. "I should go now; I can't waste the day just standing here."

"Sorry for taking some time of yours, Reina."

Her friend showed her a rare smile. "Well, thanks for adjusting this. Though—" she tugged her collar, "—I thought this shouldn't reach the shoulders."

"It is beautiful as it is." She saw Reina reach towards a pouch, and then stopped her. "You don't have to pay me. Consider it a favor from a friend."

Reina said her thanks to Nori; her goodbye, to Gombe. Before she opened the door, Phillip called her, "See you tomorrow." She nodded without turning and left in silence.

" _See you tomorrow"? I wonder what for._ Nori was about to ask Phillip when the young man cried out, "It's gonna drizzle anytime! I forgot I left my chickens out to graze!"

Gombe furrowed his brows. "Oh, I don't understand animals. Awfully picky on weather. You better go now, Phillip."

He hurriedly dropped the magazine he was holding and bowed to them slightly. "Thanks for letting me in, and thanks in advance, Nori." He pointed at the page where he was checking. "I marked my order there. I'm off now!"

Both watched him go out in an instant. _Understandable_ , she empathized. _It must be difficult to raise livestock._ She then turned to the marked page.

The model with the blue vest and torn jeans was encircled in ballpoint ink.

**Our first MTJC Special is on our sweet, sweet seamstress: Nori! I don't really consider her as a third wheel of sorts to our pairing, but kinda like a shipper. Hehe.**

**What are your thoughts for this chapter? Please share it on your reviews!**

**P.S.: Reina here wore the attire she would have in Story of Seasons.**


	11. Fish Are...

**Short disclaimer to start this chap: No animals were harmed in this story.**

**Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 11

… _despicable._

* * *

"Mako, is your niece here?"

The mayor's voice brought Reina to attention as she went down the stairs. Once the first floor came to view, she saw Ina and her uncle standing by the kitchen.

"Reina," Mako called her, "Ina wants to—oh." He only turned when Reina walked towards them.

"Hello, Reina," Ina greeted. "I'd like to tell you it's Cooking Festival two days from now, and I want you to participate." She crossed her arms. "Rutger's team seems to be getting better these past few Festivals, so we should hit our best shot this time."

Konohana had lost to Bluebell twice in a row: Rutger, the other town's mayor, had always included the eccentric café owner and the young blonde—maybe the café owner's daughter, if he could have one with having a contrasting personality to his body built—on the Salad and Soup categories. Reina admitted to herself, _Those two were talented, I give them that. But why would Ina pick_ me _to contend in the next one? Nori and Yun were sufficient._

"I'm sure you can whip something up," Ina continued with a confident grin. "Not with all of your experience in the city!"

_Touché. So that was the reason._

Truth be told, Reina learned to cook through research (the same way she handled her experiments in school) back in her university days, remembering how Mako would encourage her before, " _A fine lady should master the ways of the home!_ " So far, her uncle wasn't complaining with her food; either it was palatable enough, or he was too used to eating them already.

But other people had tasted her food, too, as she had participated in the towns' Cooking Festivals before. Aside from that, a prominent young man commented on them recently. His unreadable expression then came to her mind.

 _Maybe he was just bluffing_ , she thought grimly. _So as not to offend me. But he_ did _finish off the bento—_

"So, is it a 'yes', Reina?" Ina's hopeful tone made her realize she hadn't said anything yet.

 _Well, when was the last time the Gourmet critiqued my cooking? I would require a fresh reassessment._ Reina nodded.

* * *

_...unctuous._

* * *

She proceeded to her original plan that day: observing the mountain plants. On the way, however, she was now scanning through a cookbook she borrowed at the Town Hall. _Omelet…no, we don't have eggs here_. She flipped the next page. _Fried Rice, perhaps? But I would need carrots for that, and they're not in season yet—_

"Reina!"

She looked up, startled, and whirled her head to the voice. Phillip stood at the shallow river, with his orange shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows; his blue pants, to his knees. "Please be careful where you're walking!" he hollered.

Reina arched an eyebrow. "What are you doing there?"

He grinned. "It's hot, and I need something to ship with. Kana taught me an ingenious way to cool off and earn at the same time." He looked down. "Oh, here it is!" He then stepped forward and grasped something in the surface with both hands.

She winced when water hit his face and the front of his shirt. "Aw, shoot, I missed," she heard him say while clutching his wet garment. "And I forgot to bring extra clothes."

Defeated, Phillip trudged to land and picked up the basket he left close by. Slowly, he approached her. _Wait. I swore I just saw something…flailing inside just now._

He chuckled sheepishly. "Guess I should head home. Besides, they won't be back until later." He peered at the basket with one brow raised. "Plus, they're awfully tiny…"

Reina glanced at the contents in horror. _W-w-was that—?!_

He noticed her apprehension. "Are you OK? You look pale."

She quickly stepped backward and shielded herself with the open cookbook. "J-just…d-don't move that basket closer!"

* * *

… _utterly repulsive._

* * *

Reina forcefully shut the cookbook as she returned to the Town Hall. _If I'm going to read one more word of "sushi" in the Main Dishes chapter…_ She sighed exasperatedly. _None of that. I've seen enough horror for myself today._

When she opened the door, the mayor greeted her with a smile. "Oh, were you done with the book?"

 _Best be honest._ "Well…no, I haven't picked anything yet, Ina. I would like to ask if I could extend my borrowing period."

"No problem! And maybe, I can help you." That was Ina; always suggestive. "How about…risotto? I'm sure Pierre would like to taste some this season." She was talking about the Gourmet who would judge the Cooking Festival.

Reina considered the ingredients to use. "Hmm…yes, why not?" She opened the book again and quickly skimmed the page for rice recipes. _Yes, yes, these are accessible this season._ "Thank you."

Ina smiled again. "Anything to win the Cooking Festival!"

_I'm…not sure what to respond._

"Oh, no, I forgot," the mayor mentioned, smacking her forehead lightly. "These requests should be posted by now." She picked up a box and picked a few pieces of paper. "Can't have them piling up!" She turned to the young botanist. "You have something to catch up?"

 _Requests, huh?_ She suddenly remembered the scene she had with Phillip at the river. She internally shuddered at the thought of the basket's contents. _B-but, I read about desensitization, and it is high time I do it now._

"Well…yes. I would like to post a request."

* * *

… _abhorring._

* * *

"It looks scrumptious, Reina," Nori commented as she looked at the risotto placed on an oblong ceramic bowl.

"If only the Gourmet could say that as well."

Today was the Cooking Festival. All villagers from the two towns were present, feeling spirited as seen in their intricate preparations. For Konohana, Yun had designed their circular table with white and red square motifs. Her granddaughter, Ying, placed a vase full of pink cat flowers to accentuate the table.

As far as Reina knew, she, Hiro, and Phillip would form the team for their town. When she found out, she was confident they had a teammate known for his hidden cooking skills. _With Phillip…he does join_ every _Festival, and the Gourmet's indifferent to his dishes._

However, she had learned through the times they shared that her colleague wasn't to be underestimated.

"Phillip has arrived," Hiro said, breaking her thoughts.

The young farmer bowed to the villagers, which was reciprocated by a soft cheer. His dish was in a rectangular plate and wrapped in aluminium foil.

Kana sniffed at the foil. "I smell…charcoal and grills. Watcha got there, Phillip?"

Before he could answer, Yun called their attention. "Let's set the table now, dears! Pierre will start judging anytime soon!"

The three contenders approached the tea house owner and positioned their dishes on her instructions. Phillip glanced at Reina's. "Wow, the color fits the heat of the season nicely."

She took a second look. "Tomatoes." _As plain as that._

"Hey, could you teach me the recipe? Let's exchange." He unravelled the foil, and suddenly, Reina didn't feel like saying "sure".

* * *

"And now, Team Konohana!"

The Gourmet Pierre, a blonde man garbed in a purple top hat and purple suit, gaily approached the circular table after giving his comments on Team Bluebell's food. Their line-up—the motherly livestock shop owner, the burgundy-haired horse lover, and Raul's blue-clothed brother—seemed heterogeneous to Reina. _One is an expert at home cooking; the other, a novice like me; and…I have nothing to say about Raul's brother._

The Gourmet first sampled Hiro's tofu burger. "Hmm…" His tone suddenly shifted to delight. "Mmmm! It's as if the Harvest Goddess has made it Herself!"

 _Huh? The Harvest Goddess can cook?_ she thought skeptically.

Next, he scooped some of Reina's risotto. She tugged her skirt out of anxiety as she waited for her verdict. "The consistency's OK, but the sauciness of the tomatoes is released well with it. Good job!"

She sighed in relief and put on her proudest smile. _Not bad for starters, Reina. It is always wise to follow the cookbook!_

Lastly, the Gourmet went to Phillip's dish. "Hmm, grilled fish." She cringed by the mere mention of the name. "It reminds me so much of the Sunshine Islands."

He scraped a piece with a fork and eagerly took it in his mouth. He slowly chewed. "This…this is…" He swallowed exaggeratedly. "…perfect! It must've been grilled watchfully to achieve such flavor!"

Konohana let out their cheers loudly. They intensified in volume when Pierre declared, "We have a winner! This goes to Team…Konohana!"

* * *

"Reina."

The young botanist stopped walking towards Mako's house and turned to the voice. Phillip approached her, a piece of paper in one hand.

He raised the paper to let her read the content. "I guess this explains your behavior two days ago and today."

She recognized the handwriting. "That's…my request."

"Yeah, and I accepted the job yesterday." He smiled. "You could've just told me that day. Sorry if I startled you."

 _Well, he really didn't know then._ "It doesn't matter." She took a deep breath. "S-so, are you helping me with my desensitization or not?"

He chuckled. "You can't just desensitize at once just by touching a real fish. It would still scare you. But I'm willing to help you fight your fear slowly." He showed his other hand—which was actually hidden behind him—and brought to her sight a small round glass bowl. Water filled it halfway, and a small fish swam lazily around.

"This fish is a Small Funa, as you requested. I borrowed the aquarium bowl personally from Miss Ina so that I can show this to you. At least, just look at it for a while and think, maybe, fish aren't so bad after all."

She cautiously received the aquarium bowl from him. Her hands became shaky. _I…it's a r-real…_

Sensing her reaction, Phillip wrapped his hands on hers. "It's OK, you're doing fine."

She had heard his calming voice once more, just like the time at the zipline. Suddenly, her attention was now on the effects of his touch. She couldn't believe that she was able to stare at the fish longer than she could dare.

Unconsciously, Reina looked up and met his gaze. _There's that unreadable expression again…_

"Oh, see?" Phillip broke the spell. "We could just do the desensitization often, and you won't be scared of fish that much in no time." He slid off his hands and gently took the aquarium bowl.

Oddly, she was disappointed he let go. _Wait, what? No!_ she denied. "T-the payment for the request…I should—"

"You can give it tomorrow if you want to. I'll be illustrating, remember?" He moved backwards. "So, see you!"

She watched him leave.

_What I learned just now: fish are…indolent when swimming in stagnant water._

**This chapter was inspired from our lesson on phobia at review class years ago. Phobias are irrational fears of certain objects, and one way to manage this is** **desensitization** **, as mentioned by our characters here.**

**Let's say you feared spiders. First thing you gotta do is try looking at pictures of spiders (our reviewer even suggested someone can draw it for you). Once you get used to it, go watch videos on spiders [inserts clips on NatGeo and Discovery Channel]. Then, go get exposed to the real thing (watching spiderweb making in action will do). Of course, you need someone who can help you with that and who can control panic attacks you'll have through the process (it's normal, really).**

**Oh, great, I'm rambling again.**

**Hope we all learned something today! And don't forget to drop your reviews! :D**


	12. Diseased Roots

CHAPTER 12

"This can't be happening," Reina muttered over her notebook. She massaged her temples, trying to ease her throbbing headache.

She stared at her monitoring notes on the plant at the spring. Lately, it started to deteriorate, much to Reina's worry. Thinking it was because of the Summer heat, she made extra effort in watering and weeding it. But these only slowed down the process.

That night, she had been scanning her reference materials for an hour, trying to find out what had caused it. But her search was not fruitful; there was even no mention of the plant or any of its similar species.

"I checked the soil as well," she said out loud while glancing at the Petri dish on her desk, "and it's conducive enough for normal plant living. So, what was wrong?"

Outside, the wind howled in reply. She sighed exasperatedly as she listened to the pouring rain. _If only the storm will be over tomorrow…_

That moment, the lightbulb turned off without warning. Immediately, she felt for the gas lamp and cautiously turned the knob. She watched as the fire from the lamp danced in the darkness.

After adjusting to the minimal lighting, she returned to her notebook and flipped the page. On the other side was the drawing of the plant.

Reina paused. Until now, she had not been really stuck in a setback on her research. She never had one, and when she would have, she could always find a solution. _But it's mostly because I see the answers in books_ , she admitted. _And in my own knowledge, of course._

However, in this case, she seemed to be working on a newly dug-out slate. _Have I missed something?_

The fire flickered, dimming the room for a few seconds. _I should rest. I couldn't risk myself on poor eyesight._

* * *

When Reina went out of the house the next day, she saw her uncle raking wet leaves. At his back were his banana plants badly uprooted from last night's storm. Mako stopped to exhale in obvious weariness, then went on to continue his task.

Her grip on her workbag tightened. It dawned on her that somehow, both of them were accustomed to working on their own. Even during the time Reina stayed at the city, her uncle had tended on the orchard by himself. _And his efforts paid off well. No one in Konohana harvests greater fruits than his._

Seeing him now, however, proved to her that he couldn't do _everything_ on his own.

"Mako," she found herself calling to her uncle. When he turned, she continued, "I…can help, if you want me to."

He raised his brow. "Didn't you have monitoring to do today?"

"Yes, but…" She took the rake from Mako. "My burnout uncle might wilt faster than my plants."

He stared at her as if measuring her sincerity, then scowled. "Do not ever construct an analogy between me and plants, Reina."

Reina merely smiled when he left for the forgotten trees, allowing her to finish his raking. _Maybe it will help me think._

Forming piles of leaves brought back memories from her childhood. Whenever Autumn came, just like today, she had the luxury of helping her uncle rake, and then proudly enumerating the kinds of leaves and the beautiful processes of their color-changing. _My interest in botany had sparked by then_ , she reminisced. _Growing up in a town like Konohana would ignite such passion._

A loud thud suddenly disturbed her thoughts. She saw Mako shake his head disapprovingly at the banana plants, which were now bound together with ropes. "The wind and rain were unforgiving this season. From the foliage up to the roots, my bananas were thrown off as if they were sticks."

"That is because the soil is already wet. The roots…" She pondered on the word for a while before finishing her sentence. "…couldn't hold on much to that."

She felt an idea tickle in her head. But she couldn't grasp what it is.

* * *

"Something's wrong with the plant?"

Reina nodded. She ended up disclosing her present problem to Phillip, who she passed by his farm on the way to the mountain. He hadn't required another invitation for him to follow her.

"Hmm…" He lightly swayed his sickle at his side. "Maybe it's because they're overcrowding. You know, with it blooming late."

 _That could be it_ , she was supposed to say, but the sharp tool was pretty disturbing. "What's with the sickle?"

"Oh, sorry." Phillip stopped to sheathe the blade and place it inside his rucksack. "I was just cleaning up the farm when I see you pass by."

She thought of Mako who still worked on patching up the orchard damages. "I believe I called you on a wrong time."

"No, really, it's fine. I managed to bag every single weed. I can finish it later."

She started to feel guilty for bothering him. _Why does he go through that just to…accompany me?_ But in the first place…why had _she_ called for his help?

Any sensible reason could come to her mind, all with the similar bottomline: _He's dependable, that is why._

"Oh, no."

Phillip's voice made Reina scan the spring, to where they now arrived. She gasped: branches were everywhere, and fallen leaves were covering the spring's surface. The scene wasn't as worse as what they have seen downhill, but it felt wrong in such a place.

"The plants near the spring, though," he stated, "they made it."

"Thank Goddess." Reina immediately approached her plant. _Please be alright._ She felt Phillip tailing behind her. Please _, be alright._

As what she feared, the plant had barely survived the storm. Its flower drooped some more, with the blue-tinged petals shriveled from so much rainwater. Its leaves curled as if to embrace itself in protection to the wind.

She tenderly caressed the plant's stem. "You're getting unhealthier."

He squatted across her. "Reina, why not take it home?"

"What?"

"You know, put it in a pot and bring it home? It saves you time in coming up here."

 _I…haven't thought of it._ She considered the suggestion. _I can observe the entire plant at my laboratory, and also fully control the stimuli there._

"Well…" She opened her workbag and took her shovel. "I hope I could discover something."

"'We'," Phillip corrected. "I'm not leaving you until we figure it out. We're in this together."

_W-were we?_

* * *

Reina couldn't believe what her gloved hands had felt.

"Look at this!" she exclaimed. "The roots are diseased!"

Phillip closed her Plant Pathology book and approached her. He stared at the exposed roots. "Oh, it's root rot, right? I can see the mulchiness, even though I didn't touch it."

 _I should've known! The source of the problem was on the roots._ "Yes. This is manageable." She turned to the sink to wash off the soil.

"Do you want me to help?"

Reina couldn't stop herself. "Prepare an antifungal solution, please." As she carefully run the plant over the flowing water, she felt him pace around the room to get the reagent.

They spent the next few minutes snipping off some chosen parts of the plant and waiting for the reagent to take its effect. Phillip decided to place draining holes on the new pot while Reina jotted on her notebook. When he was done, he returned to the soaked plant. "I'm sure this guy's gonna make it. Don't you think so?"

She set her pen aside. "I believe so. With proper control of its environment and—" She suddenly remembered she wouldn't solve the problem without her colleague. "I forgot to thank you, Phillip."

"What for?"

"I believe this plant is a new species. Ever since I discovered it blooming, you were there. You've drawn it so well, and now this. My journal would be award-winning thanks to you." _I believe it's not so bad to work with someone…once more._

Phillip's gray eyes twinkled. "I would love to see you climb up the stage to receive your award, Reina." She unintentionally reddened, unable to answer. He continued, "Also, don't hesitate to ask help. Like you said before…we're colleagues."

Reina swore she heard a slight bitter tone on the last word. She glanced at the plant. _Colleagues. Phillip is different. If not for that incident…I wouldn't be so adamant on working alone._

**This was supposed to be the Blue Flower Event, but I have to totally bend the scene since Phillip himself has background in the field. And let's allow his botany knowledge to shine!**

**This begins the turning point of the story. Goodluck to me and you, readers. Mostly to me.**

**Rate and review, please!**


	13. The Professor's Pet

**[starts up engine] Alright, everybody, let's take a trip down memory lane. My notice: past events are all in italic.**

**Go ahead, indulge…somehow. I shall say no more.**

CHAPTER 13

"Oh, you still have your yearbook?" Phillip asked while surveying Reina's bookcase the next day.

"Yes." As she scanned his new drawings, she felt him sit beside her and open the yearbook.

He chuckled while looking at their class photo. "We look so naïve here." He pointed to his own image. "Especially me!"

Reina couldn't help smiling, then recovered herself. _Has he been like this in college?_

After a few moments, Phillip stated, "Wonder how are our professors now?"

She paused, then turned to the open page. Her eyes were fixed on one face shot. She felt a sting in her chest. _It's him…_

* * *

" _New Diversity teacher?"_

" _Yeah, He's from some mountainous town."_

_Reina tried to concentrate on the book she was reading, but the conversation between her female classmates was a tad too loud._

" _I bet he's old and boring. Diversity's pretty much boring, except on field trips."_

" _Wait, if he's new, he could be a bachelor! I sure hope he's cute."_

_Reina cringed. Three years of studying, and all they hope for are boys?_

_She heard the opening door and the noisy shuffling of feet. "Good day, future botanists."_

_She looked up. A man with a large hat was writing something on the whiteboard. When he turned, his bottle-green eyes and confident grin greeted them. Somewhat, he seemed to be on his late thirties, but he displayed a youthful charm._

" _Allow me to introduce myself. My name's Basil, and I will be your new Diversity teacher." Reina could hear the class murmuring in salutation to the newly-arrived professor. "How about we start our first meeting with a short test on garden plants?"_

_There was a chorus of groans as Professor Basil prepared a few slides and turned on the projector._

" _Now, now, I'm not one of those professors who let you use paper on such an exam. It's killing trees, I tell you!" The last statement was told in mock horror, to which everyone laughed. Reina stifled a smile; what he said was true, actually._

" _Instead…" He placed one slide onto the projector. A display of some dried leaves and flowers—genuine ones—were flashed at the whiteboard. "…we do it orally. Now, tell me—" He pointed at a multi-petal flower. "What is the family of this plant? Any hands, please?"_

_Reina immediately raised hers, along with a selected few. He gestured at her to stand. "Yes?"_

" _It's_ _Asteraceae_ _, Professor." She then noticed the sample. "However, that is not a garden plant."_

_He paused, but seemed unfazed. "Could you tell me your name, please?"_

" _Reina, Professor."_

" _Reina." Her name rolled off his tongue smoothly. "What made you say so?"_

" _Well, that's a lawn daisy. They are weeds—no one plants them in gardens."_

_He nodded. "Yes; but, like you said, they grow as weeds on lawns. People make lawns to floor their gardens, don't they? Unintentionally, this considers them as garden plants."_

_Reina was dumbfounded. She was used to teachers who became furious or reluctant about corrections. However, this certain man who just appeared in front of them minutes ago had stood his ground and actually_ corrected _her._

" _Nonetheless, you answered my question right," he continued. "Thank you, Reina. You may sit."_

* * *

" _Oh, there you are."_

_Reina turned to see Professor Basil catch up to her at the lobby. She had almost the impulse to run away, but remembering to respect authority, she stopped walking._

_After that meeting, Reina had detached herself from participating in discussions, even in other subjects. She felt ashamed for not arguing her point at that time, but how could she do so, when she had seen that he was right?_

_As per courtesy, she bowed. After answering hers with his own, Professor Basil spoke, "Aren't you an excellent student, dear! I just checked your quizzes a while ago, and you aced it." They had an examination about his first lesson yesterday._

" _Thank you, Professor," she muttered._

" _But, allow me to say this: I would like you to participate some more on my discussions, just like the time you raised your hand on the first meeting." With him mentioning that, Reina lowered her head. "Oh, about that…I would like to apologize for contradicting your opinion."_

_She quickly perked up. "Professor, that was a slip-up," she reasoned. "You really do have a point."_

_He smiled. "And you, my dear, have a point as well. I do accept such ideas in class." He fixed his hat. "Do you know how daisies survive, Reina?"_

" _Well…as weeds?" She took a few seconds to organize her answer. "Daisies can't be destroyed by lawnmowers, which a lot of people use in the city."_

" _You are right." Professor Basil started to trudge, making her follow him. "I find such plants interesting. They rarely require us to propagate, and they are almost invincible against us. Why do such beings possess these qualities? This is what made botany so much fascinating!" He grinned at her. "Don't you think so, too?"_

_Reina couldn't agree more._

* * *

_It struck her that another person who could be so dedicated to botany like her would exist. And he was just standing beside her, on an ordinary day in the greenhouse, admiring the hard work of the students._

" _Amazing! Such perfect replicas of the mountain terrains! Did your class cultivate these for an investigative project, Reina?"_

" _Yes, Professor." She beamed at the first lot of wildflowers while watering them. "They have grown so well, despite the different kind of soil." She remembered refusing to take soil from the mountains as it was first suggested, as it seemed demeaning to the plants already living there._

" _How come you're the only one tending to them today?"_

_Reina turned, only to realize that Professor Basil was inches from her back. She blushed. "Well…I do this on my free time."_

_After he hummed in approval, he walked away to survey the other lots. She stared at her teacher. Ever since that day at the lobby, she had paid particular attention to his classes. No, not just his classes, but to the way he would specifically praised her for her performance. They also conversed on different things outside the classroom—mostly started on Professor Basil's questions. Normally, she would mind being probed on, but to him, it was different._

" _Aren't they the loveliest?" he commented. "It reminds me so much of home." He had mentioned before that he lived in Mineral Town, but left to finish his masters' degree. "I am sure that they would flourish some more under your care."_

_That statement was much more than a simple compliment, it somehow touched her. "T-thank you, Professor…but my other classmates care for them, too. Not just me."_

_He smiled. "Oh, but you're special, and I like you. I will compliment you differently." She could feel a skip in her heartbeat._

* * *

" _Reina, why don't you come sit beside me?"_

_She was the last to climb the bus ahead of Professor Basil on the day of their field tour. The front seats were vacant for the teachers-in-charge, but he was the only one who would come with them._

" _Are you sure, Professor?"_

" _Yes, of course." He gestured her to the seat. "I would like to compete with a student about the trees we will see on the way, and you are the best candidate. Here." He gently ushered her, hand touching her back._

_She reddened. That was the first time he touched her. After she was able to sit comfortably, he followed suit._

" _Ugh, look where the pet is sitting," she could hear someone whisper at the back._

" _Of course, where else? Beside Prof Basil, of all places."_

_She tried hard not to cringe in front of Professor Basil. She had heard it often in class—that she was the professor's pet. Not that she was doing it on purpose._

_But, no matter. As long as she could have the freedom to be beside him like this, she could let the names fall into deaf ears._

**This is part 1 of the flashbacks. I figured that it's too long for one chapter, so better divide it into two.**

**To be honest, I kinda relate with the "teacher's pet" thing. I had this teacher in highschool who taught us Chemistry and Physics, and he almost made me decide to take Chemical Engineering because I got attached to his lessons and his sarcasm. I guess he considered me as his loyal club officer ('cause he was head of Science Club) and his student who could take his sarcastic antics without getting offended. Plus, he shipped me and another fave student of his. Unfortunately, until now, he still does. -_-**

**So, what are your thoughts of Reina in this chapter? I would like to know through your reviews. :D**

**P.S.: If you squint, you'll know which Basil is this Basil. Wait...why am I mentioning that? XD**


	14. Whispers and Badmouths

**Now, I offer you part 2 of the flashbacks. [shifts gear] Memory lane's now getting rockier.**

CHAPTER 14

" _Reina, I need a second opinion."_

_Reina perked up as Professor Basil called her from the door after class. Immediately, she stood up and scooped a few of her books._

_She knew what her professor had wanted. During their field tour, he had taken some samples of composite flowers for his thesis study. Sometimes, she assisted him in his research by being his literature reviewer—one who would look into reference materials and other theses with the similar topic._

_Before she left the room, she heard another pair of her classmates mutter, "'Reina' this, 'Reina' that. Is that the only name Prof Basil knows?"_

" _I bet she did something to him to gain his favor. Maybe she seduced him."_

_No, she couldn't do such a thing._

" _Tsk, tsk. Pity. Guess that's just how girls who speak to no one but books and plants get such guys."_

_She didn't understand. Why could whispers be audible whenever she was around? Reina's grip on her books tightened. No matter; their words always fall into deaf ears..._

* * *

_That day was Flower Day, and everyone in the university bustled around arranging flowers and proceeding to give some away to different people. Mostly were on friendly or romantic intentions, but all who received flowers were excited to interpret the meaning of the gifts._

_Reina held the daisy with shaking hands. She had picked this personally from the lot used in their investigatory project. Right now, she stood at the carpark on the time classes were over; on the time she was sure Professor Basil would be around._

_As far as she knew, a few students had given him flowers_ _to thank him for his teachings and he had accepted them with sincerity. She wanted, however, to give hers on private—not because she was shy about it, but there was a different ambience whenever they were alone._

_At a short distance, she immediately saw him approaching a cab. He opened the door and beamed at a young woman with braided raven hair and glasses. To Reina's surprise, the young woman embraced him._

" _W-was that…h-his girlfriend?" she thought out loud. Professor Basil had never mentioned his marital status to anyone in class, or even to her—so she ran on wild guessing. "But she looks so young."_

" _Mary!" he greeted the bespectacled young woman. "You all made it safely."_

_The next statement was unexpected. "Sorry if Mom can't come today, Dad."_

_Reina almost lost grip of the daisy. "D-dad?"_

_The cab door opened wider, revealing a capped young man who was holding a toddler. "Oh, my! And you've brought my grandson, too!"_

_The young man bowed to him. Professor Basil continued, "Anna has informed me she won't come, but I appreciate you visiting me here, Mary and Gray."_

_Reina mulled over the conversation in dejection. That meant that the young woman was his...daughter. And to top things, her professor—who she had admired so much to the point of affection—was a grandfather as well._

_Professor Basil turned to her direction. "Oh, Reina, hello!" He narrowed the distance between them, making his other companions follow him. "I would like you to meet my daughter, Mary; and her husband, Gray." He turned to them. "This is Reina, my most excellent student."_

_Mary smiled at her. Odd that there wasn't much resemblance. "It's a pleasure, Reina." Gray merely nodded in greeting. "We came for Dad's oral defense." She almost forgot that day was also his presentation of his thesis._

_That was when Professor Basil noticed the daisy. "Oh, what is this for?"_

_She had already lost her purpose of giving the flower. "N-nothing, Professor. I just...picked this up for..."_

" _Flower Day? My, and it's a daisy! The flower of innocence and purity. Suits you, dear. Yet I do not believe any man might accept such if they knew the meaning. Don't you agree with me, Gray?"_

_Reina was aghast. Would he say that if he knew that this was meant for him?_

" _Dad!" Mary said in a scolding tone. "T-that is awfully rude of you."_

_He laughed. "Apologies, apologies! I jested around, that is all."_

_But every word that he would say wasn't jesting to Reina. Especially this. "I-I'll go now, Professor. G-goodluck with the defense." Without waiting for his reply, she ran away._

* * *

"Reina? W-what's wrong?"

Phillip's worried voice brought her back to reality. She suddenly felt something wet on her right cheek.

"I-it's none of your concern." She wiped off the annoying fluid from her face. _Why on Goddess's name am I crying...in front of Phillip?_

However, he was not satisfied with her answer. "You were silent for a few moments there, and then suddenly, you're in tears. H-have I said something wrong?"

 _Of course he will ask. I forgot that's typical of him._ She shook her head. When she looked at him, his gray eyes expressed guilt—for something he didn't do—and...something else she couldn't decipher.

It felt odd: she suppressed the covert rejection her teacher had given her for so long, they only gushed out today. _I've never even done this in private. Why now?_

Phillip gently closed the yearbook and turned to her. "T-then, what is it?"

 _Why is he stuttering?_ "I..." _Should I tell him?_ "Seeing the yearbook reminded me of something..."

* * *

" _What, really?"_

" _Yeah, I saw it on the carpark yesterday. He was holding a cute baby."_

" _So that means he's married. That's too bad."_

_Reina kept her head hung low as a few of her classmates relived the day she had hoped she would forget. So, there were other students who witnessed the family scene on Flower Day._

" _Well, yeah, but the baby's not technically his. More of his daughter's, I think."_

" _Who, the pretty woman with the braid and glasses?"_

" _Oh, you know what?" a new voice piped up. Her voice toned down to a whisper, but Reina could hear her clearly. "I think I saw the pet with them that day."_

_Of course they would see her. She fervently wished she hadn't showed up that time._

" _What? How long is she gonna follow Prof around like a sick puppy?"_

_She felt a sting in her eyes as she mulled over the words. Sick puppy. Was that what she was to him?_

_No crying. Just...no crying._

" _Good day, future botanists."_

_By then, Reina forgot how to look up at Professor Basil whenever he would start the lesson._

* * *

"Pretty odd, isn't it? You were not doing anything wrong—" Reina paused to sniffle. "—and then they just...point out whatever they thought was wrong."

Since she looked down to hide her still-flowing tears, she noticed Phillip's hand had been balled into a tight fist. He had been clenching and unclenching it since her short story-telling. Short, as she cut off some points she couldn't disclose: her unrequited affection for Professor Basil, and the times they shared that proved so.

With that reaction, she wanted to know one thing. "Didn't you hear about it?" _Since you...remember so many things about me._

"...Reina."

She met his hardened face. "If I did—no, when I did, I didn't believe any word they said." Then, he showed a pained smile. "But I guess it was hard on you."

 _He somewhat...changed his character._ She tried to find any pretension in his eyes, but failed.

"Sorry if I brought this up." He took the yearbook and returned to the bookcase. As she watched, he stacked it behind her thicker books. "You won't see it for a long time, and you won't remember all about it again." He turned around and smiled; this time, it was softer. "It's good, though, that you cry about it now."

 _No crying. Just no crying._ That was what Reina thought before, because crying had always meant being defenseless against the badmouthing she had heard in college. But hearing Phillip say it would be fine to do so somehow released her emotional restrains. She bit her lip as more tears fell.

He, however, didn't get the message. "I-I-I didn't mean it t-that way! I-I'm sorry!" He fidgeted to search for something in his pockets. "L-let me find—!"

She laughed rather breathlessly seeing him panic. "I'll be OK. I..." She wiped her cheek with a small grin. "I've never done this to relieve what I had here." She patted her chest to ease her respirations.

 _This time,_ my _words didn't fall into deaf ears. Thank you, Phillip._


	15. Full Moons Are Best on Starless Nights

CHAPTER 15

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Reina closed the door behind as Phillip greeted her. "Well, you still had work to do on your farm."

"Which I'm done with. So, shall we?" She nodded.

They walked side by side on the way out of town when the street lanterns lit up for the night. Not even their mayor—who usually went on rounds—was roaming around Konohana that time.

They had been doing this for days, sometime after the incident at the laboratory. After working on the journal—which was almost on its completion—they went out on nightly walks to monitor the sky changes. Reina had opened up to Phillip about the incoming Moon Viewing Festival and shared her interest of observing the moon change its phases before that day.

A few casual conversations later, they made it to the spring.

"It is now a starless sky tonight," Reina commented, glancing at the water's reflection.

He dimmed his flashlight and looked at the waxing gibbous. "Yeah, it is. Will it still be like this until the Moon Viewing Festival?"

She looked up as well with a soft smile. "I believe so. Full moons have always been best on starless nights."

He spoke up after a comfortable silence. "Seems like you've been doing this often."

"Yes, even at the time we were in college. I could just…stare up there all night." He seemed attentive when Reina turned to his direction. "I came to conclude many things by looking at the sky, Phillip."

"Like?"

Oddly, the ideas just flowed from there. "Nature has always been beautiful even at its darkest hour. And on such times, you will depend on either the stars or the moon to give you light." _I believe I could relate it…to you._

She couldn't explain it, but after expressing something personal to him, the invisible wall between them somewhat broke down. They were not exactly labeling what they had now, but it was close to being friends.

Phillip smiled. "I'm happy I get to share such stuff with you, Reina. Thank you."

Fortunately for her, the darkness hid her blush—which she would react with everytime he did such. _Am I starting to find it…pleasing?_

* * *

It was a happy procession at the night of the Moon Viewing Festival. All villagers, minus the children, chattered excitedly on the way to the mountaintop, not worrying about the darkness anymore. The young adults walked as a group a little ahead the other townspeople.

"Man, anything I could give for a ride with Hayate now," Kana said, turning to Phillip. "Don't you think so? You do have a horse and all."

"A ride uphill sure is nice," he agreed. "With the bright moon watching over us, we will look like…knights on noble steeds."

Nori let out a soft laugh. "My, aren't you the chivalrous type?"

The young animal shopkeeper grinned. "Heh, might consider that thought next time."

Phillip smiled. "But that doesn't mean going up on foot's not as great." To Reina's surprise, he glanced at her direction. "Right?"

She was about to comment on it when Hiro replied, "Oh, I thought so, Phillip. Exercise is always good for our health."

She realized that the young doctor was at her back. _Well, so much for thinking he was talking to—wait, what?_

"There's not a cloud or a star in the sky!" Ina exclaimed as they made it to the summit. "It's perfect for the Moon Viewing Festival. Why don't we forget about work for a while and admire the majesty of the moon?"

To that, Reina averted her eyes up and smiled. _Yes, but it is also a perfect night to attend myself to…things._

A lot of things, actually. Starting off with a certain young man who was laying down a large picnic blanket beside her.

"Reina," she heard him speak, "you can sit here."

She obliged, as well as the rest of the young folks. "May we sit, too, Phillip?" Nori asked a little late.

"Yeah, it's big enough for us and our food," Kana added while chewing on Yun's homemade dumplings.

Phillip chuckled, no hint of hesitancy evident. "Sure, there's lots of room for all of us."

However, it was just enough for the five of them with no extra space. Reina had to move closer to him, who was starting to lie down.

"Are you comfortable, Reina?" he asked. "I should move some—"

She shook her head. "You don't have to."

With dumplings passed around the mat, the group engaged in light conversation about legends. "Some animal traders said to me one time that there's a rabbit at the moon," Kana started. "Also, there's some sort of castle there."

"A rabbit?" Nori asked incredulously.

"Oh, I have heard of that legend, too!" Hiro pointed to the moon. "Have you seen the dark craters? Ancestors believe they were the footsteps of that rabbit."

Kana frowned. "Hey, you're stealin' the show, Hiro. Lemme finish." He cleared his throat rather dramatically. "So, long time back, these magical guys asked food to three animals: the fox, monkey, and rabbit. The first two gave them food they hunted, but only the rabbit threw itself to the fire to be cooked."

Nori gasped softly. "How noble!"

Seasons back, Reina would have commented about legends to be hoaxes, as they are not proven by science—until Phillip showed her about his faith on the Harvest Goddess. _I guess it's not wrong to believe them…just a little._

"Yeah! The magic folks thought the rabbit was cool when he did, so they made him live on that castle at the moon." Kana concluded his storytelling by biting on a dumpling. "So, you guys got anything else?"

Nori smiled. "May I share mine?" Her next sentence was said while looking knowingly at the young botanist. "It is probably one of the reasons why people started to gather under the moonlight on this day every year."

"Go ahead," Phillip piped up while passing the dumplings to Reina.

"There was an old man who lived on the moon and kept a book of names. Every name was written there—maybe even ours!" She paused to glance at the group. "That meant he knew everyone's future, including one's destined other." Somehow, the last two words were emphasized. "So, every year, on this day, people would come to look at the moon, hoping that he will grant their wishes."

The group had different reactions: Kana raised a brow and commented on how impossible he would find his "other"; Hiro verbalized his wish to be the most successful doctor; while Reina pondered on the idea. _Well, what would I wish for? With my career…maybe mostly wishing for success on the journal—_

"Wow," Phillip suddenly spoke up. "Do I have to look up to make him grant my wish, then?" He met her eyes.

She felt her heart flutter, much to her frustration. _W-why are you looking at me like that again?!_ She kept her face neutral; her tone, soft. "Well…maybe." She suddenly remembered the nights they observed the moon. The idea of the old man on the moon granting her wish for the journal's success made her smile. "Well, we've been looking at the moon before this, haven't we?"

He widened his light-gray eyes. "Uh, yes, we did." To her confusion, he looked away. "So he'll grant ours, then."

_Odd._

* * *

A few minutes before midnight, Ina decided for everyone to pack up and descend. Full of food and marveled by the moonlight, the villagers walked in a single line homeward, with the young adults now trailing behind them.

"I sense a gust of air," Hiro said when they made it beyond the Konohana gate. He then inhaled deeply. "Ah, fresh as always."

Indeed, the wind picked up slowly, as if the sky was trying to practice whistling. Reina could have enjoyed it, if not for her midnight-black locks that kept hitting her eyes.

"Goddess, this hair—!" She irritatingly took her hairband off, letting her hair flow to the wind now blowing at their direction. When she tried to fix it, a hand stopped her.

"Let it be, Reina," Nori, also sans band, giggled. "The wind is not against us for the moment." The young seamstress strutted to Hiro gaily, who was complimenting on her childlike glee.

Still, she tucked a piece of her sideburns to her ears as she watched the townsfolk moving on ahead. _Well…I've been keeping my hair up all the time, anyway._

"Reina."

She stopped and whirled behind to see Phillip facing a few inches from her. At little distance, she noticed his slightly flushed cheeks. "W-what?"

His hand was about to reach up to her head for his usual salutation, when the wind, not changing direction, made her hair fly towards it. Instead of letting go, he caressed her locks.

Her heart raced; stomach, knotted; face, mirrored his reaction; mind, jumbled at all the physical symptoms she was experiencing. _What is happening? W-why isn't he letting go? More so—why am I not moving away?!_

She never figured out what came next: Phillip slowly dipped his head towards his hand and kissed her midnight-black tresses.

When he met her eyes again, she found his unreadable expression. She lingered in his gaze and thought of the times they were together. One question came to her: _How was he able to break down my walls I had built to drive people away?_

He stepped backward when the wind had died down, finally returning her hair in place gently. She heard him murmur something that sounded as "never mind," before he said out loud, "Goodnight." Without another word, he turned towards his farm.

That starless night, with the full moon shining under Reina, she had her answer right away. _Maybe…it was because_ I _let him do so._

**I was supposed to put a note regarding my "inspiration" about this chapter—which I once decided to do—but, nah. It tastes too bitter for now.**

**Oh. Hahahahaha, no time to be such! Now that our lovable young botanist is starting to question what she feels, we have to catch on what will this lead, ne?**

**Rate and review,** _**por favor** _ **? XD**

**P.S. number one: A kiss on the hair meant longing. Not really that intimate, but the impact's all the same, don't you agree?**

**P.S. number two: Those legends were real-life based. Chinese people often associated the moon with the Jade Rabbit and Yue Lao, the "Old Man of the Moon". [sighs] Makes me wanna eat mooncake.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...I got stuck at this chap since 2015. Oops.
> 
> BUUUUUUUT, I am currently writing the next chapter since I got a laptop this year! Stay tuned!


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